IBD goes home: from telemedicine to self-administered advanced therapies
Abstract
Major challenges have been posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the routine management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The need for constant monitoring of diseases activity and prompt adjustment of therapy have been balanced with the risk of contagion related to face-to-face consultations. Therefore, digital health initiatives have been pursued for safety reasons as vicarious instruments to avoid overcrowding of the IBD clinics. However, concerns and skepticism about the feasibility of digital health and telemedicine modalities limited their uptake in clinical practice in the pre-pandemic period.